A study published in the journal Microbiome reveals that a 10-second intimate kiss can transfer approximately 80 million bacteria between partners.
The research, conducted by scientists from Micropia and TNO in the Netherlands, involved analyzing tongue and saliva swabs from 21 couples.
Findings indicate that couples who engage in frequent intimate kissing, at least nine times daily, exhibit significantly similar salivary microbiota. This suggests that such close interactions play a substantial role in shaping the composition of bacteria in our mouths. Interestingly, while salivary microbiota became more aligned with increased kissing frequency, the microbial communities on the tongue surfaces of partners were already similar and did not show significant changes with additional kissing.
This study underscores the impact of intimate behaviors on our microbiome and provides insight into the complex dynamics of human microbial exchange.
